How to Grow 100 Pounds of Potatoes in 4 Square Feet

How to Grow 100 Pounds of Potatoes in 4 Square Feet

Potatoes are fairly low maintenance, can be grown in a pot or in the ground, last a fairly long time if stored properly, and can be very nutritious (high in potassium and vitamin C).

Every time when you think of gardening you are also struck by the fact it requires space? You shouldn’t be! With all these DIY solutions out there, having your own garden in the balcony is very simple. One way to accomplish this is through the vertical handmade small garden suitable for growing 100 pounds of potatoes.

Here’s more incentive: according to this article, you can grow 100 pounds of potatoes in 4 sq. feet.

What You’ll Need

This list is completely GMO-free!

Six 2-inch by 6-inch boards, 8 feet long

One 2-inch by 2-inch board

2.5-inch wood screws (x96)

Seed potatoes

Soil

Water

Pine, cedar or redwood will resist rot longer than other types.

Building The Container

To construct the box the potatoes will be growing in, first cut the 2-by-2 piece of wood into four pieces, 33 inches long. Then, cut the 2-by-6 board into 12 pieces 21 inches long, and 12 pieces 24 inches long.

Next, you’ll want to pre-drill the screw holes in your 2-by-6 boards and attach them to the 2-by-2 pieces.

After this, place the structure over prepared soil and plant your potatoes four inches deep. When you notice the vines have grown about a foot above the soil, add more boards as shown in the diagram below. Repeat until the box is closed.

Growing

The following additional tips come from a Seattle Times’ interview with Greg Lutovsky, a professional potato farmer since 1993 who invented this method of potato farming.

First, he directs you to plant as early as April or as late as August. This will guarantee you a harvest by sometime in November. He also directs you to cut apart larger seed potatoes to make sure there are at least two eyes in each piece you plant.

Dusting the cut pieces with fir dust will seal the open points off from bacteria. You’ll want to regularly water your potato crop so it is kept at an even moisture level.

When it comes time to tear down the box and reap the harvest, keep some sort of marker on the spot where you planted. You’ll want to avoid planting there again to avoid infecting a new crop with any diseases last year’s potatoes may have attracted.

Check out this video to see the sort of harvest you might expect if your potato box works out as planned.